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“Still, it’s something.”
“I have something far better to help,” she said. “Come on. This will make you feel better.”
Mom pulled a DVD out of the closet and took us to the living room.
“Here you go.” She pressed play.
The opening shot was a close-up of a flannel shirt, and then Papa Bennie came into the frame as he set the camera down. His tanned skin was familiar, and my heart gave a lurch at the sight of him.
“All right, Ithinkthis is right,” Bennie muttered. “Maribelle will have my head if it isn’t.”
“Papa Bennie! Look what I found!”
A young version of me came into the frame, holding up a gigantic worm.
“Oh, that’s disgusting,” Trevor muttered.
Nostalgia hit me stronger than I’d ever felt. It had been years since I’d laid my eyes on those strawberry patches and rolling hills.
They were beautiful in a way I needed. The screen wasn’t enough. I needed tobethere.
“Your mama said to change into overalls, Miss Mae!”
I blew a raspberry and ran for the tree line where the animals used to be. Papa Bennie laughed.
And the camera cut.
“You were such a menace back then,” Mom said, laughing. “Those fields didn’t know what was coming whenever we let you stay the night. Though with how messy you were when you came back, I was glad not to have to deal with that anymore. You can have this DVD. That way, you can see it whenever you want to. Problem solved.”
But it wasn’t solved. Not even close. Now I wanted to go theremore.I needed to see what had become of the place I’d loved so much.
“Mollie,” Trevor said. “Come on, it’s just a farm. Your life is here.”
“Yes, honey.” Mom’s voice was gentle. “It’s with us.”
I bit my lip and nodded, even though every cell in my bodytold me not to. I put the papers in my purse and tried to make peace with my decision.
I didn’t find it.
Mom handed me the DVD and then talked more about our plans. I nodded along and tried to sound happy, but when Trevor and I were getting into the car, the mask fell.
“I can’t believe you knew,” I said as we pulled away. “And you’re wanting to sell it to your family’s company.”
“That sale will ensure we can buy that house and have a wedding. Selling the old land will benefit us both. Trust me.”
“I’m trying to. But you kept my own farmhouse from me.”
He rolled his eyes. “Of course you’d be upset over this. Don’t be so sensitive, Mollie. I just wanted you to see our next house before I told you.”
“Still. You saw the DVD. You saw how happy that place made me.”
“Do you really wanna be that girl with the worm?”
“Maybe I do.”
“Absolutely not. I’m not letting you.”
I took a deep breath and tried to push down my rising emotions.